GREEN COVE SPRINGS — When Nancy Webb walked into the Green Cove VyStar branch on Wednesday, May 21, she said she had already felt like a winner.

That was even before team members greeted her with wide smiles at the door. Even before being gifted with a flower and bouquet of balloons.

And even before being presented with a $1,000 check in her name.

“I was really surprised,” she said.

A VyStar member of almost nine years, Webb is one of 10 winners of the VyStar Savings Challenge, a competition dedicated to encouraging members to strengthen their financial future through saving. 

Over 31,000 participants, including Webb, were tasked with gaining more knowledge about their finances and setting aside at least $1,000 worth of funds.

"It was a really good learning experience,” she said. 

Webb said she got involved simply by seeing an email from VyStar inviting her to participate. Although some others may have scrolled past, Webb said she clicked on the link and dove in head-first.

Webb said that with the encouragement from her representative and the support, and tips from fellow participants in a VyStar Facebook group she joined, she had the motivation needed to be successful. 

“When somebody [had] a setback, we would all say, ‘Well, you can do it’. It was like a community of people that cheered each other on.”

She said the experience was a challenge, but one she gladly wanted to take on. It taught her not only the fundamentals of saving for then, but the resources available to continue in the future. 

“I learned a whole different way to look at my own money,” Webb said. “Especially, like [when] going to the grocery store and depending on cash instead of a credit card, you think twice.”

Being frugal is all Webb said she has on her mind now. In fact, the winner plans to spend her hefty reward on another Certificate of Deposit (CD) savings account. 

“I have not seen the money, so I won’t miss it. But it’ll be making money for me.”